An Examination of Clopidogrel in the Treatment of Coronary Microvascular Disease

Cureus. 2022 Aug 25;14(8):e28406. doi: 10.7759/cureus.28406. eCollection 2022 Aug.

Abstract

The ability of clopidogrel (Plavix) to work in tandem with aspirin in a dual therapy strategy to boost the anti-platelet therapeutic impact and diminish platelet aggregation induced by platelet receptor inhibition is one of its many key advantages. The researchers discovered that the average reduction in risk of adverse cardiovascular events related to Plavix much outweighed any potential systemic effects. The analysis also revealed that, even though treatment results for diabetic patients with coronary microvascular disease (CMD) are poorer, the dosage and administration of clopidogrel for dual therapy are not modified to address this issue. Although it has been established that the current standard of care for microvascular disease decreases damage, more study is necessary to ensure that this standard is enhanced. It may become more usual in the future to include patient groups in trials who do not have diabetes as a criterion. Patients with diabetes often have higher low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels than the general population, therefore, it is possible that the research findings are flawed. To confirm or reject this assumption, further research is necessary.

Keywords: blood clotting; cholesterol; coronary microvascular disease; dual antiplatelet therapy; plavix.

Publication types

  • Review